Menorca, SSS pension hike, etc.: My 2 cents’ worth
By: Solita Collas-Monsod
Philippine Daily Inquirer
12:50 AM January 23rd, 2016

The SSS pension increase. Another senatorial candidate who has my vote is Serge Osmeńa. He alone, among the senators who voted for the pension increase bill (Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile rejected it outright, the only one), has admitted fault and has said unambiguously that President Aquino was in the right for vetoing the bill. The excuse Serge gave was that he had 54 bills that had to get out within two weeks, and this one was not one of them. As excuses go, that’s pretty good. He at first tried to pin the responsibility on the President (i.e., that Mr. Aquino could have unilaterally raised the contribution rate of Social Security System members), but then backed off because the Senate as well could have done that. The important thing is that he would rather be unpopular than be fiscally irresponsible, and will not do anything that could backlash against the nation. Good for him.

To be fair, the House of Representatives, when it passed the bill, also passed a companion bill that gives the SSS board the authority to decide on contribution rates (now only the President or Congress can do so). The Senate did not pass the companion bill, which would have made everything all right. Question: Serge seems to be the only responsible (aside from Enrile) member of the Senate. But don’t most of our presidential and vice-presidential candidates come from the Senate? What does that make of them?

And if they really care for the SSS pensioners, all they have to do is pass the companion bill or raise the contribution rates of SSS members. In other words, be responsible.